This picture is so real to me. This was the taken right during the hr evening I would get anxious, and start to fret about if I would ever feel "normal" again.

This picture is so real to me. This was the taken right during the hr evening I would get anxious, and start to fret about if I would ever feel "normal" again.

Do any of you watch This Is Us? It's so wonderful! I never watched Parenthood, and a lot of people compare it to Parenthood. I truly cry on and off throughout the entire show, happy tears and sad tears. After having G my hormones are still all over the place, which leads me to my case of the "baby blues."

Let me preface this by saying there are many different cases of what people refer to as the "baby blues." Some are much more severe then others, but ALL cases should be openly discussed and talked about amongst friends, family, and with your doctors, etc.

I know most of the sweet mamas I've talked to have all experienced the baby blues to a certain degree, and if you haven't then that's ok too. What gets me is that this a normal, natural and OK feeling to have after you have a baby. It doesn't mean you're weird or different, it's ok to have and more important to talk about it to others.

You've been growing this baby in your belly, you give birth, and then you leave the hospital and your life is nothing like it was before. Your body doesn't feel like it used too, you're sleep deprived, and your hormones are an absolute basket case.

I remember staring at people walking on the streets 28 floors below and thinking, "they have a normal life." And also thinking, "why the hell didn't anyone tell me about this." The thing is most of my mom friends did, but you simply don't get it until you go through have a baby. It's impossible to understand prior.

It took me a few weeks to adjust to our "new normal." Each night I would get this heavy wave of anxiety and fear that would hit around 5pm and I was so nervous about how that night would go with G. I would just cry, breakdown, and straight up bawl.

Poor R was so sweet and so worried I wasn't ok. They warn you of postpartum emotions and signs all the time, but don't tell you these other feelings of anxiety are normal, happen, and then pass. Thankfully my mom was with me the first week and a half, and she assured me and him that these feelings were completely normal. Although as you go through it you feel so out of sorts and the furthest thing from normal, both emotionally and physically.

Everyday got a little better, and the weather didn't help me because it was SO dreary and rainy for the first two weeks after I gave birth. I would say I felt like I kind of had a grip on things and my hormones were a bit more stabilized(said no new mom ever) by about 4 weeks.

I write all this to say, motherhood is amazing, it's the most challenging job, and everyday is different. But even though you technically become a "mother" overnight, you don't. You've got to adapt and adjust to this brand new lifestyle and learn this new baby, and he or she has to learn you! As I'm just about 6 months into being a mom(still a "greenhorn") I can attest to how the love grows, grows, and grows, with each day. It's a love that hurts. I look at pictures of him before bed each night, because I miss him(and he's in the room beside me).

Outfit details, sweater is from Nordstrom's, but sold out, HOWEVER, I found it on super sale here. Jeans are my favorite high rise jeans. Boots are SOOOO old by Coach(my favorite whiskey color boot), similar here

G didn't know what to think of the corn.

Outfit details, sweater is from Nordstrom's, but sold out, HOWEVER, I found it on super sale here. Jeans are my favorite high rise jeans. Boots are SOOOO old by Coach(my favorite whiskey color boot), similar here

This week has felt so long, soooooo long. We've had landscapers here all week, which is wonderful, BUT that means Boone barks incessantly every time he sees someone walk by...real fun when I'm putting G down for a nap.

Favorite Song

I am so excited I just figured out what this song was that I've heard at Dailey Method for weeks now. It's a remix of Bastille's new song, and it's fabulous. Such an awesome workout song!

Favorite Recipe

Our good friends came to visit this past Sunday, and she told me about this easy Chicken Tikka Masala recipe she and her girlfriends swear by. It's an easy crock pot meal, give me easy and in one pot and we're talkin! I made it with rice the first night and I heated it up the second night with riced cauliflower. Buy it frozen at TJ's, so easy and an easy/healthy rice substitute.

Favorite Item

So let's chat about Forever 21's activewear line. We went to the mall on Sunday and left G with the boys for a bit and ran into Forever 21, where I discovered their activewear line. I knew it existed, but wanted to feel it in the store. I purchased this easy grey active pullover and I've worn it 3 times this week 😳

Favorite Drink

Maybe I have hormones to attribute my change of palate, but I really have enjoyed taking a sip of Rob's scotch lately. I used to LOVE amaretto sour's before I actually developed a taste for alcohol 😂. So this scotch + amaretto cocktail sounds perfect for cooler temps.

Favorite Moment

Like I said yesterday we've had landscapers here all week, and I was reminded how being kind and treating people with respect makes others feel. The head foreman went out of his way to let me know how nice it was to work with me. Which made me happy to hear, but sad at the same time, because I am sure there are plenty of people who are less than pleasant. Treat people with respect, which means make eye contact, smile, say "good morning!" All these simple acts mean something to people. Regardless of who they are and what they look like, they were someone's baby at one point!

I'm scared to type this, or even think this, but I feel like we're finally getting into a good groove with Graham. Gah, I hope I don't jinx myself by even speaking such. He is napping consistently now, 2x a day for 1.5-2 hrs each, and goes down easily at night between 7 and 7:30. He wakes up to eat once at night, around 4/4:30am, and then is back down and wakes for the day between 7:30 and 8. I'm hopeful that last feeding will be dropped around 6 months, but for now I'm not complaining.

We live in a beautiful area of IL, we're directly north of Chicago, but on Lake Michigan, so we're only about 15 miles from downtown Chicago. R takes the train in to work. We live two blocks from the train station, which is part of the reason we purchased this house, so he could still walk to the train and make his commute as short as possible.

I take the boys(G and Boone) on a walk everyday, typically I try and time it so we can meet Rob at the train station in the evenings. I walk around and drool over the gorgeous houses on the "other side of the train tracks."

The train station is the building in front, can't really see it well, but the sunset was incredible the other night.

If we're going on a longer walk we'll walk down to the lake, it's exactly a mile. We have an overlook area, where I'll stop and soak it in with a sip of wine or beer(whichever is in my to go cup) ;)

This has pretty much become my uniform these days, and I'm not complaining one bit! My leggings are Lululemon and they're amazing, purchased via May's reccomendation! Sweatshirt is from Target(it's the softest brushed material, and jacket is Lululemon(old but similar version).

G loves being outside, most babies probably do(so I've heard). I love getting out just as much as he does. When 5 o'clock rolls around I'm itching to get out and stretch my legs. I'm thinking about asking for a running stroller for Christmas so we can get out in all kinds of weather this winter.

We've had to bundle him lately, since it's getting so much cooler in the evenings! He's wearing the softest jacket gifted from one of my dear friends, and this is the best stroller blanket, also a sweet gift from another dear friend.

We've been in the house since the end of June, but are just really settling into everything. Moving with a 2 month old slightly delays projects. We have begun landscaping this week, and I can't wait to show you!!!!

Snapped this picture on our walk last night, the leaves are just starting to change. I've never seen a tree that captures all colors.

Snapped this picture on our walk last night, the leaves are just starting to change. I've never seen a tree that captures all colors.

Hey folks, what a week! First off, thoughts and prayers are with all my friends and family in Charleston. 🙏

I feel like this week has gone by so quickly, and yet I feel like my house is a wreck and I've done nothing. Which is not true, because I do at least 2 loads of laundry a day, run the dishwasher every other day, and somehow I just feel completely out of sorts. It's been rainy all week and I'm just blah. BUT it's Friday, and we're supposed to have gorgeous Fall weather for this weekend, bring on the pumpkin patch! 🎃🍁🍂

This song was on my "Discover Weekly" Spotify list, and I have luvvvved listening to it all week. It's kind of reggae'sk, and I put it on and dance around with G, who probably thinks his mom is cray cray ;)

Several weeks ago I purchased this lace up top from Old Navy and it's a good find(in my opinion). It's "on trend" with the lace up look, BUT it's not too low, which many of them are, and it's not too loose. It fits well in the shoulders and arms, but has just enough of a relaxed look around the hem. Maybe it was the cut of this particular batch, but the arms run a little tight. I still stayed true to size(so an XS).

Another Gimme Some Oven recipe has become a favorite in our household. I can prepare it prior to Rob coming home and leave it in the fridge, and mix everything together quickly. The dressing is now my go to vinaigrette dressing! And people, let's be real, how can a recipe with bacon not be good...

Our dear friends coming in town on Sunday, and I think I'm going to make a batch of this to enjoy...autumn sangria with red wine = DONE!

Favorite Moment

An honest favorite moment this week is when I come downstairs after putting Graham to bed, sit down with R and have a glass of wine and breathe. I truly will sit down have a sip, and take a deep breath in, and just kind of let it allllll out. It's so nice to have that time with R, and something we really try to capitalize on each night.

Fact, I did an excellent job of stretching out my regular non maternity fall clothing when I was pregnant. What I thought was fitting last fall and winter is stretched out and less than flattering. Which leads me to do some shopping for great, easy fall sweaters I can throw on and not worry about spit up, soon to be baby food, and able to be thrown in the wash on delicate, etc.

So these are a few of my favorite sweaters under $50 that fall into some of Fall's trends, which I've listed below.

Now that I'm a stay at home mom I'm more aware of prices(my husband is rolling his eyes if he's reading this I'm sure), but I at least try. I find myself buying far more clothing for Graham than I do for myself. Let's be honest, they grow out of clothing in the blink of an eye, so I really don't want to spend a lot of money on something he'll only wear a few times(and stain with a blow out...just being real).

Since we're in Chicago and it's officially fall I keep Graham in comfy, warm(now), and easy to change clothing. He's spending the majority of his days on the floor rolling around and being licked to death by Boone. So these are a few of my favorite inexpensive finds for boys and girls.

Old Navy

I just purchased these from Old Navy( I bought the solid navy as well) and I absolutely love them. They're so soft and stretch out enough to easily get over his head. I've been really happy with the clothing I've purchased for him from Old Navy. It washes well and is very soft.

Target

Cat & Jack is the new baby/toddler line at Target and I LOVE everything I've grabbed by them for G. It's so soft, sizing is pretty true, and doesn't shrink a ton after washing/drying(40 million times). Plus it's basic, and doesn't have words written all over it, which I prefer.

Graham worethis onesie the other day and it was so cozy. The buttons at the neck make it easy to get on and off as well.

I've got these bodysuitsin my cart(they were sold out of his size at our Target), and they're insanely soft. Why they say "girls" puzzles me, because they're definitely gender neutral. This little set is in my cart as well, I love this particular elephant print, it's different than all the others.

Carter's

So I had no clue how wonderful Carter's clothing actually is until recently. My SIL was telling me about how well it holds up. I grabbed a few things for Graham and they're quickly becoming my favorites to put him, especially for sleep. My only semi complaint, is that the line seems to run a bit small. However, they're is a HUGE difference in the 6M vs. the 9M.

I love this cotton zip up. Homeboy has recently decided he wants to roll and fight being turned when we dress him for bed. So the quicker I can get him in something the happier we both are, so zip ups are key! This one works for boys or girls, it's sweet.

Baby Gap Factory

I am sure I am way late in discovering you can shop the Gap Factory store online. I love regular baby Gap, but sometimes they're a little pricey, at least at this age because he seems to be growing and changing so quickly.

I purchased this adorable hoodie onesie a few weeks ago and it's one of the softest pieces of clothing. I was worried about how I would feel about the hood and if it would bother him, but it's not too bulky and he doesn't seem to mind.

You know me and makeup, we go together like peanut butta and jelly, the ying to my yang...you get the point. So after having G it was no different, I wanted to have my "face fixed" no matter how little or much sleep I was going on, as it makes me feel "normal." The feeling of being "normal" was a constant thing for me those first few weeks. After I had Graham I didn't feel "normal" for several weeks. I had a bit of the baby blues and will talk about this in an upcoming post. Even though all these feelings were absolutely "normal" you don't feel like yourself for quite sometime. So I tried to do all I could do to make me feel a bit more normal, and for me that's wearing makeup!

I'm working on an eye makeup post coming up, eye skin care and makeup is a separate entity of its own.

My 5 Favorite Products

Bare Minerals Complexion Rescue

I love this product, because it goes on so smoothly and quickly. I put it on like moisturizer and it rubs in perfectly. I prefer a bit more coverage and more of a matte look, so I layer powder on top.

DiorSkin Nude Air Powder

I think this powder if a great setting powder with a little bit of coverage. I read reviews that it's not great for oily skin, so maybe stay away from it if that's the case for you. However, it seems to work really well with my skin(which is more combo) and no break outs! I'll swipe this on quickly after I apply the Bare Minerals tinted moisturizer.

MAC Minerlize Powder in Golden

I have fallen IN LOVE with this product. I use it as a bronzer and it makes all the difference. It's not too dark, and is more of a light golden powder. Bronzers can tend to look "dirty" or muddy on my fair skin, so I have found this is the perfect color. The girl at MAC said she preferred using a darker powder as a bronzer instead, I now know why.

MAC Blush in Melba

The BEST contour blush! It's the perfect color and I find it so easy to use to lightly contour. If I actually tried to contour I would probably look like I was wearing war paint and about to go to war. I lightly brush this color along my jaw line and it gives a nice blush/bronze color, it's not too muddy.

Dior Mascara

It's still my favorite mascara. I've tried so many different mascaras and I always go back to this one. I love the brush, how it separates my lashes, and the volume it gives my lashes. I've got larger eyes, so if I don't have anything on them I look a bit "buggy." I think some mascaras don't coat or give my lashes enough volume that I still have to wear eyeliner. This is the only mascara I've found that I can use without eyeliner..does this make sense?

This little monkey started teething this week, and we've gotten a lot of use out of our Ergo carrier(he hated it until last week).

This little monkey started teething this week, and we've gotten a lot of use out of our Ergo carrier(he hated it until last week).

Happy Friday folks! I'm so excited because our dear friends and old neighbors from CHS are staying with us this weekend! It'll be their first time meeting Graham as well, and I can't wait. I'm hoping the weather gets it's act together and stops raining. We'll probably just chill the majority of the weekend, but head down to one of the little downtowns around our area for dinner and drinks.

Favorite Song

Jeez I listen to everything these days, but I really love the song Cleopatra by The Lumineers. The video is sweet/depressing, ha, but the song is great!

Favorite Item

So I'm still nursing and I'm all about being able to do so easily. So everything I wear is with nursing in mind, but this top is great for anyone. I found in in the pj's section of Target, but it's more "loungewear." I actually own it in black and grey(bought the grey today), because I wear the black so much. It's SO soft and drapes really nicely. It's a nice weight to have on inside the house, and doesn't make me too hot, as I'm up and down with G.

Favorite Recipe

So my bff and I both love using the food blog Gimme Some Oven for recipes. She recommended this Lemon Basil Spaghetti with Almonds recipe and it was SOOOOO good, like surprisingly delicious. Highly recommend, although, I may double or increase the sauce recipe by half.

Favorite Moment

Impossible to name one, truly everyday with Graham I have multiple "favorite moments." I love waking him up in the morning. He wakes up around 7:30am, and just talks away to himself. I typically lay there and listen for several minutes and then go in to pick him up. He gets the biggest smile and usually starts to kick and move his arms with excitement when he sees my face #melting

When I was pregnant I loved reading these type of posts. So I thought it would be nice to see what my must haves and items I never used for the hospital. And if you know someone who's pregnant, these are nice gifts to receive.

First off my bag. I LOVE the canvas bags, and have 2, one for us and one for Graham. I bought mine from LL Bean and my parents gave Graham one from Lands Ends. I must admit I prefer the Lands End one, it's a much softer material. We have used them both a ton, for traveling and going to the beach, I recommend the zip top!

My Essentials

Belly Band: Funny story! I had heard about these prior to having a baby, but didn't order one. Then a nurse tech came in the hospital room the day I had Graham and told me in her Puerto Rican accent, "you want flat belly?!" "you need a belly band!" Well I'm a sales person's dream, and of course I purchased one that day.

I loved it and began using it the third day after birth(only because I didn't have it in the hospital). I ordered a small, you want it to be tight, but able to fasten(I had to work hard those first few days to fasten it). Not only does it make your stomach feel more normal, but it supports your back. I wasn't used to toting 7.5lbs around all day everyday.

I think it really did help my stomach muscles and hips work their way back into place. I used it for about a month/ month and a half after having G.

Nursing Tanks: I lived in these nursing tanks from Target in the hospital and the first few weeks. If you are BF you nurse so often those first few days and weeks it's easier to have these on layered underneath a wrap or jacket. I've continued to love them though, and sleep in them nightly.

*side note, I even wore the black one under a blazer when R and I grabbed a drink one night when my MIL was watching G the second week.

Boppy: I loved having my nursing pillow in the hospital. I read mixed reviews on this prior, but I hated using 40 hospital pillows to get the right position. Plus in my opinion, it's nice to have the LC show you how to get your baby to latch on the pillow you'll be using at home.

Your Sleeping Pillow: Essential! I did not have mine and wish I would have, not that you sleep a ton or soundly in the hospital, but it's more comforting to have the comforts of home. Also, get your hubby to bring his pillow as well.

Maternity Workout Pants: I didn't have a C-section, but I rolled the maternity band down anyway. These were my favorite pants throughout pregnancy and I loved them the first month postpartum. I personally wasn't a fan of the robe, it made me feel "sickish." I preferred to be in normal clothing to make me feel a bit more normal.

*Also, I LOVED my Lululemon high rise pants, and wore them as well in the hospital. Thank the lawd for spandex!

Hanes Undies: Talk about granny panties! I used these over the thin undies the hospital provides. It made me feel more comfortable. I think I ordered a Medium in these and I just rolled the waist band down to where I was comfortable.

Comfy PJ's: I did change into PJ's at night to make me feel more "normal." These were perfect, the waist wasn't too tight, and they were great for nursing, and having my vitals checked every 4 hrs.

Snacks: These came in handy the second night(which apparently is this unspoken horrific night in baby world). When Graham decided he only wanted to sleep in our arms and R and I were terrified of falling asleep while holding him we began eating trail mix and granola bars. Also, nursing is so exhausting at first, they're sucking the life out of you(literally) and it's so important to keep your calorie intake up so you're not completely drained.

Baby Blanket: I had my mom and MIL go out and purchase a baby blanket to layer on him when we came home. Clearly not needed if you're in a hot climate or have a baby in the middle of the summer. HOWEVER, we live in Chicago, and it was in the 40's and rainy the day we came home from the hospital.

Things I Didn't Use

-Outfits for Graham: I think people are different about this, but homeboy was literally in a diaper, hat, and his hospital swaddle blanket our entire stay. They check their stats so often, and you change their diapers all the time, I personally found clothing to be pointless. SO, all the outfits I packed for him did not get used. However he did come home in a precious Kissy Kissy onesie, their clothing is SO soft.

Outfits for Me: Of course I thought I'd be dressed in all different types of outfits during the day for visitors, HA! Who am I kidding, my tail was in a nursing tank and yoga pants all day, everyday.

Nursing Pads: You seasoned mamas already know this, but with your first baby it takes a few days for your milk to come in. SO were useless in the hospital.

I've been a "mom" for 3 months and 10 days to be exact and it's been an absolute whirlwind. Some moments feel as if I was pregnant yesterday, and other moments feel like the day has been as long as a year ;) Becoming a mom is an incredible blessing. I met a woman the other day(a true New Yorker in the best ways possible) and she kept on saying in her thick, thick Long Island accent..."God Bless 'em, look at 'em, he's a miracle, such a miracle." She couldn't have been more spot on. You understand motherhood and moms the moment you have a baby, it's a silent nod in the grocery or a look on someones face as you're walking down the street. It's an amazing club, and I'm proud and blessed to be a member. So here's Mr. Graham's birth story.

So I hit week 39 and was begining to have Braxton Hicks pretty frequently. I was one who didn't have any BH until the very, very end. I was so worried I wouldn't know I was in labor and everyone told me, "oh you'll know." So early am on Sunday I woke Rob up and said "I think this is it." We began timing contractions and they were very managable and lasting about a minute and coming every 5 min or so. I really wasn't in much pain at all and was able to have a clear conversation. We had gone ahead and called our parents to let them know we thought I was in labor. Fast forward a few hours and the contractions had pretty much stopped and were not consistent at all. Meanwhile my mom and Rob's parents are in flight up to Chicago. I felt horrible, and couldn't believe I was that "false labor girl."

We ordered spicy Mexican food that night in hopes it would get things going. Around 9pm I told my mom I just felt horrible, something wasn't right within my body. We proceeded to go to bed and I woke up around 1am in pain. I didn't wake Rob or my mom and came out to living room to just sit for a bit and begin to time the contractions. About 30min later I was not able to reach my phone(it was right beside me) to press start on the contraction timing app. At this point I woke Rob up and told him this was the real deal. We called the Dr. on call, who said I could go in if I wanted too but it may be a little early. I waited 5 min after that conversation and told Rob I had to go now, I couldn't stand the pain.

We checked in around 2:30 am to triage at Prentice. The sweet check in lady looked at me as I'm squatting on the ground and said "you're doing great." haha, needless to say I was in a lot of pain. They hooked me up and examined me and said I was 4.5/5 cm dilated and she would let the Dr. on call know so they could admit me. Her next question was, "when do you want your epidural?" to which I replied "IMMEDIATELY." How people do this naturally in beyond me, more power to them.

We were rolled up to the delivery floor around 3:30am, they immediately hooked me up to fluids and penacilin(I tested positive for Strep B). The Dr. came in to give the epidural at 4am, and he was amazing, but not as amazing as the epidural!

My doctor happened to be on call that day, so she came in at 7am and checked my progress. I was around 8/8.5 cm dilated. I had progressed pretty quickly without the use of pitocin, and she said she would be back at 9am to check me, and we would probably be ready to push.

Rob and I tried to sleep throughout this time, but emotions and nerves are running at a high, and it just wasn't possible. My doctor came back in a little after 9 to check again, and I was at 10cm and ready to push. She said we were going to do a few practice pushes, and during these 3 practice pushes she and Rob could see the head. She quickly paged the nurses to get in the room to get the delivery table ready. She went to change into scrubs and came back around 9:20. In the meantime my mom had come in to wish me good luck, and my emotions had taken over, I was just crying/smiling...this was really happening and it hit me like a ton of bricks. I was SO LUCKY and pushed through 4 contractions, and Graham popped right out, I think I pushed for 7 min.

Graham came out angled towards Rob and he quickly screamed "it's a boy!!!!" We both laughed/cried in amazement, it's such an incredible moment. Honestly I was in absolute shock. You know you've had a baby growing in your stomach for the last 9 months, but in a second it's all real and everything you've ever known to be normal has changed, and your world will never be the same. Words really can't do the experience and moment justice. You know what love is when you have a baby, you finally "get it."

HALLELUJAH FOR FRIDAY!!! We've got a busy weekend planned, we have our first pre natal visit with a potential pediatrician and then our "Great Expectations" birthing class at the hospital. I am excited for both, the more information the better at this point. I feel so unprepared and I know I'm not as unprepared as I feel, but there's so much to know/think about when bringing a HUMAN into the world. Little light convo to start this Friday morning, haha!

Favorite Song: Y'all know me and my music. I have been loving this song lately, it's a remix of Tracy Chapman's Fast Car. I listen to music all the time in Chicago, it's rare you don't see someone walking down the street with ear buds in either on the phone or listening to music. I typically listen to music on the train, then make my routine phone calls to my mom or dad the remainder of my walk.

Favorite Item: Y'all Old Navy's clothing game has been ON POINT for Spring! I just got a handful of maternity/non maternity items from them. I'm trying to buy shirts that don't "look" maternity and I can wear them the first few months post baby. HOWEVER, with that said I want to highlight these black flat mules. Yes, mules are HUGE for the spring/summer!

Favorite Recipe: We have bananas that either need to be thrown away or used. I plan on making some rendition of Banana Bread. This Oatmeal Banana Bread recipe sounds so good!

Favorite Drink: Well folks let's be honest, I haven't had a sip of wine or alcohol since August :( SO needless to say I plan on having THE BEST bottle of red or white wine(I'm not a champagne person) in the delivery room. My mouth truly waters at savoring every last little sip. So let's talk about my morning drink, hot lemon water.

I drink a cup of hot lemon water every morning, and really think it helps! This article talks about all the benefits of drinking hot lemon water during pregnancy. Call me crazy(it hasn't been the first time) but the few days I didn't drink lemon water the past week I got sick!

Favorite Moment: I love to watch my belly move. Sometimes at work I just stop and look down, it's my little moment in the midst of all the craziness, that he or she shares with me. Reminds me of what's ahead and how insignificant so many worries and stressors should be to me.

Pregnancy style is no easy task these days, although I'm really not sure it was ever easy. I try and wear as many of my regular shirts as I can, but the selection is getting more and more sparse to fit this belly. Length is key, I find that as long as I have a little elastic and a good amount of length I'm golden.

My favorite pregnancy pants have been these 4 guys, they're in constant rotation throughout my wardrobe.

ASOS Leather Like Leggings: I love these, they're probably my favorite of the 4. First off, they're super affordable and secondly they really do look like leather. I purchased them early on and have received so many compliments on them. People ask me if they make a non maternity version and they do, click here! I plan to buy the non maternity version post April.

*sizing: I purchased a size 4 in the maternity legging

Ingrid and Isabel Be Maternity for Target: These yoga pants are my go to pants each night after work. I love the full band and tightness of the leggings. I ordered an XS and have been really happy with them as my belly has grown. At first they were really tight, but they seem to stretch out a bit with each wear(not too much though).

AG Jegging Jeans: I love the color of these jeans, but I don't care for how thin the fabric. The flip-side of that is a thicker denim which has less elastic. Let's just say you NEED elastic as your pregnancy progresses. Or you end up like me a month ago trying to get these birthing hips into jeans and hear a rip...elastic is your friend.

*sizing: I purchased the 26(I'm typically a 25) and am happy with that size now, but in the very beginning it was too big. AG's stretch a lot, so just be prepared.

7 For All of Mankind Pointe Black Pants: EVERY pregnant woman should own these, they've been amazing! Since they're pointe the black doesn't fade and they can be worn casually or dressed up; if you're pregnant BUY them, seriously, you won't regret it.

*sizing: I purchased the 25, which is my pre-pregnancy size and have been really happy with the sizing.

Did you think I fell off the face of the planet? Well I didn't quite, but jeez has it been a crazy ride the last 8 months. Moving to Chicago, getting PREGNANT, and starting a new job all at once has been an interesting hand of cards. So where do I start to update you about all this newness? Let's start with Chicago!

The view from our rooftop deck...which is closed in the winter of course, this was taken back in Sept.

So last time I blogged we had just moved to to city and to our temporary housing. We moved into our apartment shortly after in late June. We LOVE our building and area, it's brand new, we were some of the first people to move into the building. We still don't have neighbors beside us, which I am not complaining about(watch someone move in beside us tomorrow). I posted some pictures below to give you a feel.

We're on the 28th floor and have beautiful floor to ceiling windows all around, Boone hates them! He will slowly creep up to them, but he still remains 2 feet away from the window itself. It must play tricks with his viewpoint and eyes.

Chicago is a great city, it's finally beginning to feel like home. Several months ago I thought I was on the verge of a breakdown, I was so homesick, not for NC or SC; but for a home! I think it was the pregnancy hormones, new job, and adjustments to everything all at once. However, now I love Chicago, and honestly was excited to get back after the holidays.

Onto Pregnancy...well there's not much to say there, but more to show. This belly is getting bigger by the day! I'm 32 weeks and the baby's movements are more like kicks, jabs, punches, flips, etc. The other morning I truly shouted out loud I was so startled by little bits movements. Rob and I joke about having an alien inside of me, because my stomach looks like bambino is going to break out of there Men in Black style.

I've felt great, little to no morning sickness whatsoever, and generally a good dose of energy. My muscles are beginning to get sore and ache a bit every now and then, but that seems to be something most women experience at this point. Sleeping is pretty good, although not great. I'm at the point that when I roll over I have to actively wake myself up, and it takes a few good grunts and sighs to get to other side. I can't live without my pregnancy pillow though, it's been a life saver!

I'm referring to our baby as baby, little bit, bambino, and yes even "it" sometimes, because we didn't find out the sex! All of you are probably in shock now, seeing that everyone finds out the sex these days. Our ultrasound tech said over 90% of patients find out the sex. We think it's the only true surprise in life, and hell, let's be honest they're in onesies for the first few months anyways. Our nursery is gender neutral regardless, I may order a pink or blue throw when he or she arrives.

I must admit, when we first saw the ultrasound I told Rob "I want to know!" I had said for years I didn't want to know, yada, yada, yada, but when I became pregnant it was a total game-changer. Fast forward to now, we decided not to find out, and I couldn't be more excited. I have ZERO intuition as to what I'm having(hopefully that's not a bad sign), and couldn't be more thrilled to have a healthy baby with 10 fingers and 10 toes! It's hilarious to hear people guess, I must say not many people are guessing girl these days, but who knows, that'll probably change next week.

Soooo good to catch up with you, I'm hoping to be able to blog more routinely in the coming weeks!

In the last month we've had a little time to watch some TV. All of this is about to come to a quick halt when we move into our apartment tomorrow!!! I've listed my favorite 3 shows below, let me know if you have any other recommendations!

Grace and Frankie

Grace and Frankie is a new show on Netflix that I am absolutely obsessed with, it's HILARIOUS!!!!! The cast is star studded, Jane Fonda, Martin Sheen, Lily Tomlin, Brooklyn Decker, and Sam Waterson just to name a few. It's a short series, with 13 episodes each lasting less then 30 minutes. It's an easy series to watch, so check it out + they just renewed it for a second season 🙌

can we talk about her hair...maybe just a little too much volume, maybe...

Chrissy Knows Best

Don't just me. Lets just pause for a minute and talk about how absurd this show is and how I love every part of its absurdity. He has the best one liners! R and I watch this show and crack up the entire time. The grandma, Faye, is just about as hilarious as Todd Chrisley.

Chef's Table

Don't watch this show hungry. The very first episode captures your stomach, and makes you want to travel all around the world, savoring every bite of food. I found the show on Netflix, and it features top chefs and restaurants throughout the world. The first episode takes place in Chef Massimo Bottura's restaurant, Osteria Francescana, ranked #3 restaurant in the world. Must. go. to. Italy. now.

Best weekend evaaaa!!!! How can a weekend go badly when you start it off with the best(that i've tasted so far) Chicago Deep Dish pizza, oh my gah! So delicious! So let me give you the play by play on this moment. We first tried to go to Lou Malnati's which is down the street from us, after seeing 50 people waiting outside and being told the wait was 1 hour and 45 minutes we decided to flag a cab and make our way up to Lincoln Park to try Pequod's.

So the wait at Pequod's was 45 minutes, which was fine, we grabbed a beer and just stood and waited as we saw and smelled all the pizzas. It seemed that the majority of the crowd was local, which in my opinion is ALWAYS a good sign. Luckily for us two people got up from the bar and I ran over and snagged the seats. We went ahead and ordered an app as well as our pizza(which we ordered a small pizza and that was PLENTY).

It was worth the cab ride, the wait, and every penny...this pizza was INCREDIBLE, absolutely delicious! We kept it simple, which I recommend, pepperoni and sausage. R's parents are coming up this weekend and I see Pequod's in our future :)

Saturday we headed to walk around Navy Pier with every other human in Chicago. It's about a 20 minute walk from our current apartment, and definitely worth going to walk around. Next time I would go early in the morning before the mobs of people take over.

Afterwards we headed to Wrigley for a Cubs/Reds game!!! I surprised R for our anniversary with tickets to the game, which was a great experience.

The red line runs straight to Wrigley, the Addison stop, it's super convenient, hence why every other person in the world is on the train. This is how the train looked after it thinned out a bit. Prior to this I was smashed up against people telling myself to remain calm and breathe, luckily everyone smelled ok, otherwise I might have had a slight panic attack.

Our seats were incredible, R was in heaven! This was our view prior to the rain and lightening rolling in, which caused a 2 hour and 45 minute rain delay 👎 BUT we found two seats under the covered area and they put the Blackhawks game on the jumbo-tron 👍

and the Blackhawks won!!!

🙌🙌🙌

Next up on the agenda, our 1 year anniversary! R had the perfect day planned. He surprised me with an afternoon at the Trump Spa. We spent the day being pampered with mimosas, chocolate covered strawberries, infinity soaking tubs, massages, and champagne...it was luxurious and an absolute treat!

After we took plenty of time at the spa, we headed back to our apartment to get ready for dinner at Mexique! It's Mexican fusion(it's French inspired) done oh so well. Chef Carlos Gaytan has been on Top Chef, which I don't watch because I haven't had cable, but I believe he was one of the final four. Mexique is in the Noble Square area, and we took Lyft there(similar to Uber if you've not used it, but they have a ton of first time promotional deals).

I should have taken a picture of the menu to better describe each dish, but I did not...so just check out the pictures. Every part of our meal was delicious. I highly recommend Mexique!

We started with two appetizers, the ceviche and a braised pork dish. Both were delicious, but we both preferred the ceviche, it was a type of tuna with compressed octopus, the flavors of the dish were incredible!

Onto our main dishes, R ordered the lamb, I ordered the duck. We would both order the same dishes again. The duck just fell off the bone, duck leg confit success!

We finished the evening with dessert, Tres Leches! One of the most delicious desserts I've ever had at a restaurant.

BUYING: Everything for our apartment! I love Open Door, a local home goods boutique in Charleston. They have these seagrass placemats that I am obsessed with, and right now if you spend over $50 you can receive 15% off everything! use code: SUMMERTIME

DRINKING: Y'all know how I love a spicy drink?! Well since we've left Charleston I haven't had one and I am on a mission to find one in Chicago this weekend!

THINKING ABOUT: This weekend! It's our first weekend in Chicago! I see lots of yummy food, great museums, and hopefully pretty weather(fingers crossed) in my future.

No, I can not believe we're coming up on our one year anniversary...it feels like twenty, hahaha, totally joking! This first year of marriage has FLOWN by, FLOWN! We've had lots of change in this first year of marriage, in particular a major move and career change. That's a lot to throw into your first year of marriage.

Honesty, R and I are super stubborn, which can be an interesting combination at times. We both give each other a hard time, we joke with each other all the time, but most importantly we love and respect each other throughout everything. He's my best friend, who is my biggest supporter, as I am his, and we both push each other to be the best version of ourselves.

Here are some random THOUGHTS AND LEARNED LESSONS from our first year of marriage...

~i've never used any of our china, and it's now going to be in storage for a year, so about that...

~same story with our crystal

~people really haven't asked us much about the "b-word" maybe that's because we view our dog as our baby, for realz

~waking up and having coffee together makes a huge difference in our day and our relationship

Happy Wednesday friends! This week has been a great first week as we start our new life in Chicago. R is loving his new job, and I have done a good bit of exploring, each day I've gone a little further than the day before in my exploration around the city. I think I may take the L-train up to Lincoln Park today, they have the best little shops and cafes!

In between my trips out I've been obsessing over rugs, yes rugs. I think rugs make the biggest difference in a home/apartment. Since our apartment has hardwoods throughout(heck yes!) I want to have plenty of rugs throughout to warm the space up and make it feel a bit more homey. Also, all our rugs are going to be indoor/outdoor rugs! My cousin swears by Dash and Albert, and I found them to have one of the largest indoor/outdoor collections.

2) Guest Bath Rug-side note, I love rugs in front of vanities in the bathroom. Everyone concentrates on bath mats and they're missing the ball. Put a 2X3(if it's a small or average size bathroom) in front of the vanity and get a white bath mat towel and use that instead.

3)Master Bath Rug-I just can't make up my mind on a rug for our bathroom. Lulu & Georgia has some great indoor/outdoor rugs as well, and what I like about them is their size. There smallest size is 2x4, and I like having a little extra length. This is my favorite so far for our bath.

We are finally in Chicago. After a few weeks of R&R reality has set back in and we've officially moved to Chicago(how weird does that sound). Honestly the past few weeks haven't really felt real, scratch that staring at our empty house was real, but honestly I feel as if I've been on vacation. R and I were discussing this driving in yesterday, it's like we're waiting to go home, but clearly that's not the case, ha! This feels much more real for him, as he starts work this morning!

the 12th floor outdoor terrace.

So we were originally supposed to be in a hotel, but that fell through and they put us in corporate housing. The first few corporate housing options we saw a month ago were not our favorites, it kick started us to find a permanent apartment. HOWEVER, the place they ended up putting us in is SO NICE. We honestly hate we're only here for 10 days, BUT I CAN NOT WAIT to be in one place for longer then 2 weeks. Our permanent apartment will be very similar to this building, but it's in an area that's a bit more dog friendly(for walking Boone).

The 12th floor is the amenity floor, they have everything from a business center, billiard room, golf simulator, gym, yoga studio, outdoor pool and terrace. I think our jaws were on the ground the entire time we toured around the 12th floor. I plan to spend plenty of time there over the next few weeks :) I don't have a job yet, but I am keeping my fingers crossed for something in particular.

The pool area is RIDICULOUS! Check out those cabanas...yes, please! It's on the 12th floor, so you're surrounded by buildings, little different view than palm trees. I took this picture last night after dinner...check out the Sears aka Willis Tower in the distance. The top portion is in the clouds!

The corporate apartment is fully furnished, everything from a cutting board to a blender and in between. We survived our first city grocery shopping experience, YAY! We went to a Jewel Osco, which is similar to your regular grocery store, located 4 blocks from us. We got a few essentials like almond milk, wheat thins and you know 6 bottles of wine(priorities).

The furniture isn't exactly my style, but it's perfect for what we need for a couple of weeks! I love all the natural light we have, and we will have even more in our permanent apartment, with floor to ceiling windows.

One of my favorite things about a city, any city, is the view of the city at night, it never disappoints. The Trump tower is on the far right and the Wrigley building is directly to the left of the Trump in this picture. Chicago's architecture is gorgeous!

Today's our last day at the Lake :( we are heading back to R's parent's house in OH for the weekend, since they're looking after Boone while we live in temp housing before moving into our new home!! These past two weeks have been wonderful, filled with pure relaxation, margaritas at noon, and fishing until 8pm(ps if my day job doesn't work out I may have a knack for fishing). Now it's time to get into a new city and new routine. We are both getting more and more excited to get to Chicago. It's been so nice to have this time to relax and mentally prepare for our new adventure. Now onto what I've been digging...

LISTENING: So y'all know I'm a music junkie, and I found an amazing playlist on Spotify...The New Retro...it's perfect. Two of my favorites from the playlist are below...

2) Leon Bridges, if you don't know him yet you HAVE to LISTEN to him stat! Smooth Sailin is my jam!

MAKING: Well I haven't exactly done the cooking I thought I would do at the lake. We have sampled the local Applebee's, B'Dubs, Mexican restaurant, and a few frozen pizzas. Hmm....sounds super healthy right, ha! Needless to say we've been paddle boarding, running, and staying plenty active to counter balance our nutritious consumption of food. I see a detox in my future ;)

BUYING: Maybe this no working thing isn't too great on my wallet. I've spent way too much time searching for sales on clothing and shoes. In my search I did find an AMAZING deal, these Billy Reid boots are on super sale. I figured I'll be wearing them in 3 months(true fact) so why not take advantage of this deal.

DRINKING: Lots of margaritas, here's my favorite recipe...

1 shot of tequila

juice of 1 lime

1/4 cup of soda water(I pour mine till it's almost to the top)

splash of OJ

REMINISCING: Every sunset at the lake is perfect, even if the weather was crummy during the day the sunsets still seem to pull through. Fishing is my new favorite hobby, seriously though, I have fished every chance I've gotten over the last week and I've caught several decent fish including a 23 inch pike, what-what! Most importantly we've had time to ourselves and with each other, so so important. Now onto Chicago!!!!